


buildings

by Rayne



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drinking, F/M, tw: alcoholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:38:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rayne/pseuds/Rayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>TW: Alcoholism.<br/>Rose can't manage to cope, and Dave has to help her out. Futuristic setting, aged up characters, etc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	buildings

**Author's Note:**

> this was mainly inspired by the song 'buildings' by regina spektor, so that would be a good song to listen to while you read it  
> or not that's cool too but it does take aspects and lines from it, so.

Two in the morning, and Rose Lalonde still wasn’t home. When this had all started, Dave would have worried, would have fretted under his stoic expression, but now? Well, now this was normal. He simply kept his phone at his side, allowing himself to nod off on the couch as he watched the television, the harsh tone that signaled her call jolting him back into reality. Within minutes of hanging up, lips pursing at the drunken slurs from the other end, he was in the car, driving to pick her up.

Four in the morning, and her forehead was resting against the cool window of the car, voice a low whine as she murmured that she was going to be sick. Dave was right next to her, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on her knee, speaking just as softly as she did as he assured her that they would be home soon, just a few more blocks, it wouldn’t take long, he promised.

The second the car was parked, she was stumbling out of the door and into the house, swatting away any of his attempts to help. She got to the bathroom and collapsed, crawling to the toilet, clinging to the seat as she was sick. It wasn’t long before Dave was there as well, holding her hair back and sighing, his free hand rubbing soft circles into her back. Tears streamed down her face, and she let out a soft, choked sob, knuckles turning white as she held onto the seat. Oh, how she hated being sick.

“Sh, Rose, babe, it’s okay.” His voice was low, and fuck, he never knew what to say. “They build buildings so tall these days, don’t they, Rosie?”

The next morning, Dave slipped out of bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead, brushing a bit of hair from her face. She was still dead asleep, and he didn’t see any point in waking her. She worked from home, scribbling in her notebooks, working on manuscripts that even she sometimes doubted would ever be completed. But she would do it eventually, wouldn’t she? Pieces of work like that took time. Besides, she needed sleep, after the night she’d had.  
Soon, he was out the door and in the car, on his way to work. Hopefully, he would be done early today. Hopefully, Rose would stay home that night.

Sun had broken through the windows long before Rose had even considered opening her eyes, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed that Dave would be home all too soon. Half past five and her head was still pounding, stomach churning and spinning in circles, but she had to get up, didn’t she? Yes, she had to fix things before Dave got home. She forced herself out of bed, trudging to the coffee machine and putting on a pot, going to the bathroom while she waited. She reached under the sink, grabbing bottles and wipes one by one, lining them up on the floor. For almost an hour she scrubbed, cleaning up remnants of the night before and then some, working her hardest to make the bathroom spotless. She would make dinner after, something Dave liked, and she would make sure to do a damn good job.

By the time he got home, it was almost impossible to imagine that anything had happened the night before.

He was on the couch, now, putting his feet up as he turned on the television, flipping mindlessly though the channels. Rose had insisted on doing the dishes that night, giving him the chance to relax for once. Or, that was what she had told him to do.

Soon, she was next to him, arms snaking around him, her lips pressing against his neck, murmuring a soft apology against pale skin. He pretended not to hear her.

“I’m sorry.” She repeated, a bit louder this time, pulling back to look at him. And he was still wearing those damn shades. Why did he always insist on wearing them? They made his expression impossible to read. Rose couldn’t tell what he was thinking as he stared at her, the lips she had become so familiar with pressed into a thin line. Was he angry? Upset? Was he going to give up on her? She would deserve it, with how many nights they had shared like the last.

“Dave, please. I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft again, making her sound much smaller than she was. So much more innocent. “Please. Just give me time. I’ll change. I know it sounds stupid, cliché, even, but I promise you, I will. Just give me a bit more time…!”

Look at her. She was breaking, scrabbling for the right words to say, as though she was terrified by the mere idea of losing him. How could he stay angry with that? He knew time. 

He had enough. He found himself wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, fingers raking through her hair. He could give her time.

“Take all the time you need.”


End file.
